Littleborough and Saddleworth (UK Parliament constituency)
# Littleborough and Saddleworth (UK Parliament constituency)

Littleborough and Saddleworth was a parliamentary constituency in Greater Manchester, England. It returned one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The constituency was created for the 1983 general election, and abolished for the 1997 general election.

## History

This Conservative-Liberal Democrat marginal was held by the Conservative Party at the three general elections of its existence. The victorious MP on each of these occasions was Geoffrey Dickens, who was elected in 1979 for Huddersfield West (which was a predecessor seat to this constituency, however no part of it was added to this seat when it was created in 1983). However, at a by-election called after Dickens' death in 1995, it was won by Chris Davies of the Liberal Democrats.

## Boundaries

1983–1997: The Metropolitan Borough of Oldham wards of Crompton, Lees, Saddleworth East, Saddleworth West, and Shaw, and the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale wards of Littleborough, Milnrow, and Wardle.

The constituency was centred on the towns of Littleborough, Milnrow and Saddleworth. In 1997, three quarters of the seat became part of the new Oldham East and Saddleworth constituency, with Littleborough and surrounding areas joining the redrawn Rochdale constituency.

## Members of Parliament

| Election | Member | Party | Notes |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1983 | Geoffrey Dickens | Conservative | Died in office May 1995 |
| 1995 by-election | Chris Davies | Liberal Democrat |
| 1997 | constituency abolished: see Oldham East and Saddleworth & Rochdale | constituency abolished: see Oldham East and Saddleworth & Rochdale |

## Elections

### Elections in the 1990s

By-election 1995: Littleborough and Saddleworth :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Davies | 16,231 | 38.5 | +2.7 |
| | Labour | Phil Woolas | 14,238 | 33.8 | +14.9 |
| | Conservative | John Hudson | 9,934 | 23.6 | −20.7 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Screaming Lord Sutch | 782 | 1.9 | New |
| | UKIP | John Whittaker | 549 | 1.3 | New |
| | Independent | Peter Douglas | 193 | 0.5 | New |
| | Independent | Mr Blobby | 105 | 0.2 | New |
| | Socialist (GB) | Andrew Pitts | 46 | 0.1 | New |
| | Independent | Lawson McLaren | 33 | 0.1 | New |
| | Independent | Colin Palmer | 25 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,993 | 4.7 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 42,136 | 64.5 | -17.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

General election 1992: Littleborough and Saddleworth :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Dickens | 23,682 | 44.2 | +1.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Davies | 19,188 | 35.9 | +5.0 |
| | Labour | Allen J. Brett | 10,649 | 19.9 | −6.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,494 | 8.3 | −3.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 53,519 | 81.6 | +4.2 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | −1.9 | |

### Elections in the 1980s

General election 1987: Littleborough and Saddleworth :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Dickens | 22,027 | 43.1 | +0.3 |
| | Liberal | Chris Davies | 15,825 | 30.9 | −0.1 |
| | Labour | Paul Stonier | 13,299 | 26.0 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,202 | 12.1 | +0.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 51,151 | 77.4 | +2.6 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +0.2 | |

General election 1983: Littleborough and Saddleworth :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Dickens | 20,510 | 42.8 | |
| | Liberal | Richard Knowles | 14,860 | 31.0 | |
| | Labour | Stephen Moore | 12,106 | 25.3 | |
| | Restoration of Capital and Corporal Punishment | R Barry | 398 | 0.8 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,650 | 11.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 47,874 | 74.8 | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
